


Observation

by shutupnerd



Series: recount and recover [1]
Category: Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Future Foundation, Gen, Hajime Hinata deserves a break, Journal reading, Kamukura project, Oneshot, Poor Hajime, pre sdr2
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-09
Updated: 2020-04-09
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:09:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23562835
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shutupnerd/pseuds/shutupnerd
Summary: In searching for information about Izuru Kamukura, Makoto Naegi and Byakuya Togami discover a journal that details exactly what happened during the Kamukura Project.
Series: recount and recover [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1808287
Comments: 9
Kudos: 380





	Observation

Makoto rustled through the mountain of files, sighing as he read page after page of information that held no weight. Things he already knew, things that had nothing to do with what he was looking for, innocuous folders likely placed to misdirect those snooping about. Actual information seemed impossible to find.

He sat down with a huff, loosening his tie. “Any luck, Togami?” 

His partner shook his head. “Absolute jargon with a sprinkle of things we already knew. It seems like Kamukura was a secret his creators wanted kept.”

He leaned back, fanning himself with a hand. The file room was hot and cramped, filtered through with dusty sunlight. Information on the Despairs was abundant and easy to find—Ultimates were Ultimates. Princesses and famous team managers and the like had slews of data on them ready to be found and used to Future Foundation’s advantage. But Kamukura was an utter mystery. 

Known by no one, known to no one until his brutal murder of the student council, Izuru Kamukura was an enigma. Nobody knew who he was, just that he was something cooked up by Hope’s Peak and utterly corrupted by Junko Enoshima. 

“How are we supposed to find him when we know exactly nothing about him?” he moaned, slumping back in his chair. His chair, which chose that exact moment to collapse under his weight and take him and a pile of files down. 

“Naegi!” Togami stood from his chair, ready to help him up, until Makoto held up a hand gripping a suspiciously thick journal. 

“Hey,” he grunted, getting up. “I think I found something.”

Pulling over both his own chair and a new, unbroken one, Togami sat down at the desk. Makoto swept the useless excess files out of the way, and hesitantly opened the journal. The words were written in neat pen, every word done quickly but efficiently.

KAMUKURA PROJECT FILE #37  
OBSERVATION OF SUBJECT. 

Makoto flipped the page. “Bingo.” 

SUBJECT: BASIC INFORMATION.  
NAME: HAJIME HINATA  
AGE (AS OF BEGINNING OF PROJECT): 17  
(DATE OF BIRTH JANUARY FIRST.)

PHYSICAL INFORMATION.

SEX: MALE  
HEIGHT: 5`8  
WEIGHT: 147 LBS  
CHEST: 36 IN.  
BLOOD TYPE: A  
APPEARANCE: GREEN EYES. SHORT BROWN HAIR, SPIKY. SLENDER BUILD.

The file included a glossy picture of the boy—Hajime—and while Makoto could see the obvious similarities between him and Kamukura (they looked exactly the same, aside from the clear changes to the hair and eyes), something struck him about the person who frowned at him from the page. His eyes were filled to the brim with determination. This was someone who had deep-seated convictions, he could tell, just by looking at him. Something was burning inside him, something that Kamukura never had. 

“I don’t think Kamukura was born emotionless,” Makoto said hesitantly, tapping the picture with a finger. “Look at this kid. He definitely had dreams.”

“Of course. Nobody is born a Remnant, Naegi.” His tone made it seem like this was obvious, but he still leaned over and looked hard at the photo of Hajime Hinata. Makoto thought he might have been dreaming when he saw Byakuya’s eyes soften. 

“What drove you to become Kamukura?” Makoto asked the picture softly. “Did you hand yourself over, or were you forced into this? Did you know what you were getting into?”

He carefully unstuck the picture from the page and tucked it into his pocket. It was something he felt, in the depths of his mind, that Future Foundation shouldn’t have. Next, he turned the page.

HINATA HAS CONSENTED TO THE PROJECT. HIS PARTICIPATION HAS BEEN GUARANTEED UPON THE WAIVING OF HIS TUITION FEES. 

Below the words, a photocopy of Hajime’s messy signature was pasted. 

HIS PARENTS WERE NOT INFORMED OF THE CONDITIONS OF THE GRANT RECEIVED. HINATA, HOWEVER, HAS BEEN INFORMED OF WHAT HE MUST PROVIDE AND HAS AGREED. 

“Good Lord,” Togami said. “Who knows what lies they fed him?” Makoto nodded silently, leaning down to read more intently.

UPON BEGINNING THE PROJECT, HE HAS OFFICIALLY BEEN EXPELLED FROM HOPE’S PEAK ACADEMY. ALL PUBLIC TIES HINATA HAS TO THIS SCHOOL HAVE BEEN SEVERED. 

IN THE EYES OF THIS INSTITUTION, HAJIME HINATA NO LONGER EXISTS.

Something sick growing in his stomach, Makoto flipped the page. 

DAY ONE. 

HINATA HAS LEFT THE SCHOOL. HE HAS SURRENDERED HIS SMARTPHONE AND PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION WITHOUT PROTEST BUT SEEMS DISCONCERTED. HE HAS ASKED IF HE IS PERMITTED TO CONTACT HIS PARENTS WHILE IN TREATMENT.

HE IS NOT. 

HINATA IS TO HAVE NO OUTSIDE CONTACT. 

TALENT MUST BE CULTIVATED IN A VACUUM.

HE WILL BE OBSERVED AT ALL TIMES, IN ALL PLACES. HE HAS CONSENTED AND GIVEN HIS PERMISSION TO BE RECORDED. ALL OF HIS LIVING, SLEEPING, AND BATHING AREAS HAVE BEEN SET WITH CAMERAS. CHANGES IN BEHAVIOR WHILE IN ISOLATION WILL TELL US WHETHER TREATMENT IS EFFECTIVE. HINATA HAS NOT BEEN INFORMED OF THE CAMERAS IN HIS LIVING SPACE. 

VITALS HAVE BEEN TAKEN AND A BASELINE PHYSICAL EXAM WERE GIVEN. COMPILED WITH GYM CLASS RECORDS, HINATA CAN BE SUMMARILY DESCRIBED AS AVERAGE. THESE MEASUREMENTS WILL BE USED TO SHOW GROWTH AND CHANGE. 

A MENTAL HEALTH EXAM AND AN INTELLIGENCE TEST WERE ALSO ADMINISTERED. AVERAGE RESULTS WERE OBTAINED.  
WE HAVE SOME WORK TO DO. 

“This is...this is sick,” Makoto murmured, his eyes wide.

“And we’ve barely begun.”

He turned another page.

DAY TWO. 

HINATA HAS BEEN PLACED ON A STRICT SLEEPING SCHEDULE OF 8PM TO 6AM. HE DID NOT SEEM TO TAKE TO THIS WELL. SLEEPING MEDICATION MAY BE NECESSARY. 

THE FIRST SURGERY BEGAN TODAY. A SIMPLE STRENGTH AUGMENTATION, TO SUPPORT THE PHYSICALITY-BASED TALENTS TO BE ENDOWED LATER. GREAT PHYSICAL DISTRESS WAS SHOWN AFTER THE PROCEDURE. ADJUSTMENT OF PAIN TOLERANCE MAY BE NECESSARY. RESULTS WILL BE EVIDENT AFTER A DAY OF RECOVERY.  
HINATA SEEMS TO BE A LITTLE MORE DOUBTFUL OF THE DECISION TO TAKE PART IN THE PROJECT. WE HAVE TOLD HIM HE IS MAKING THE RIGHT CHOICE AND WORKING FOR THE GREATER GOOD. THIS HAS PACIFIED HIM FOR NOW. 

HOPEFULLY QUESTIONING AND DEFIANCE DO NOT BECOME A PATTERN. 

Makoto turned the page, his mind swirling with thoughts and a growing dread. 

DAY FOUR. 

POST-RECOVERY. HINATA HAS GAINED CONSIDERABLE STRENGTH WITH NO OUTWARD CHANGES TO HIS PHYSICAL BUILD. THERE ARE NO SURGICAL SCARS. HE IS HAVING TROUBLE ADJUSTING. AT MEALTIMES, HE HAS BENT SILVERWARE AND BROKEN A PLATE. HE HAS EXPRESSED FRUSTRATION AT THIS DEVELOPMENT. HE WAS GIVEN A MILD SEDATIVE TO CALM HIS NERVES. BATHING HABITS AND TYPICAL SLEEP PATTERNS HAVE NOT CHANGED.

Enclosed were pictures of a mangled fork and a diagram of the strange implants that strengthened him, along with a lengthy explanation as to why Hinata would have to eat far more from now on to maintain his body.

An unsettling picture of Hajime sleeping was also included. It was captioned rather chillingly. 

MILD SEDATIVES WERE PLACED IN EVENING MEAL. THIS WILL CONTINUE UNTIL HIS BODY NATURALLY FOLLOWS THIS SLEEPING CYCLE. HIS PHYSICAL HEALTH IS PARAMOUNT. 

“And what of his mind?” Togami asked, repulsed. Makoto didn’t like what he saw. But if he was honest with himself, some things were beginning to make sense.

“For this kid’s sake, I hope this is fake.” He doubted it.

DAY SIX.  
SURGERY TWO. ONLY LOCAL ANASTHETIC WAS USED. HINATA’S EYESIGHT IS NOW PERFECT. HOWEVER, HE SHOWED FEAR PRIOR TO THE OPERATION. HE ASKED TO CALL HIS MOTHER. PAIN RELIEF HAS BEEN DENIED. 

HINATA HAS BEEN SEDATED. 

Through the journal they flipped and flipped, following a journey made in visceral, methodical descriptions, glossy pictures of horrible surgeries and a young boy in incredible pain, someone who never expressed the desire to or attempted to turn back. But in every picture, he looked less and less alive. With every surgery, his eyes lost a little of their spark. Over and over, the same words were repeated.

HINATA HAS BEEN SEDATED.  
HINATA HAS BEEN SEDATED.  
HINATA HAS BEEN SEDATED.

A new picture stuck with him—a set of surgeons, holding up Hajime by the arms. He had clearly just collapsed and was still unconscious, being tossed around like a ragdoll. His mouth and legs were bloody, stained hot pink.

HINATA BEING RELOCATED TO A RECOVERY ROOM POST-PROCEDURE. HE INSISTED HE COULD WALK BUT COLLAPSED AS SOON AS HE STOOD. AT THIS STAGE, HE IS LIKELY OVERESTIMATING HIS CAPACITY FOR PAIN. _DO NOT LISTEN TO HIM. INSTEAD MAKE YOUR OWN JUDGEMENTS ON HIS RECOVERY BASED ON PHYSICAL REACTIONS._

_AT THIS POINT, HINATA’S OPINIONS AND WISHES SHOULD NOT COME INTO CONSIDERATION WHEN TREATING HIM._

“They truly did take everything from him, then,” Togami mused. “Pity.” 

On and on the horrors went, until, finally, swallowing down bile, Makoto reached close to the end of the book.

DAY 51.

THE FINAL SURGERY HAS COME UPON US. HINATA IS CALM AND COMPLIANT. 

HE ENTERED THE POD AND WAS SEDATED SO THE PROCEDURE CAN BEGIN. 

ALONGSIDE THE APPLICATION OF TALENT, A LOBOTOMY WILL BE PERFORMED. ALL MEMORIES OF HIS PREVIOUS LIFE WILL BE REMOVED. ALL MUST BE CLEARED OUT FOR TALENT.

“Don’t tell me...” Makoto said, inhaling sharply. “They...”

THE SURGERY WAS A COMPLETE SUCCESS. UPON AWAKENING, HIS HAIR HAS GROWN AND CHANGED COLOR TO BLACK, AND HIS EYES ARE NOW RED (UNFORTUNATE BUT HARMLESS SIDE EFFECTS OF THE SURGERY.). THE ONLY OUTWARD SIGNS OF SURGERY WILL BE A SET OF SCARS THAT WILL HEAL ON HIS HEAD. THEY WILL BE EASY TO HIDE.

HAJIME HINATA NO LONGER EXISTS. HE HAS NO MEMORY OF ANYTHING BEFORE WAKING UP FROM THIS SURGERY. HE HAS BEEN TOLD HIS NAME IS IZURU KAMUKURA.

KAMUKURA IS THE PINNACLE OF HUMAN ACHIEVEMENT. A SINGLE MAN IN POSSESSION OF EVERY TALENT KNOWN TO HOPE’S PEAK ACADEMY. 

TRULY, HE IS THE ULTIMATE HOPE.

Makoto’s stomach twisted at the familiar title. 

MINIMAL TESTING HAS PROVEN THAT THE TALENTS HAVE TRANSFERRED SUCCESSFULLY. THIS IS NOT THE SAME MAN WHO ENTERED INTO THE PROCEDURE. 

HOWEVER, KAMUKURA SHOWS NO EMOTION AND SEEMS TO BE CONSTANTLY BORED. HE EASILY AND ACCURATELY PREDICTS EVENTS AND PEOPLE’S ACTIONS AND CAN PLAN ACCORDINGLY BEFORE A SINGLE WORD IS SAID. UNTIL WE DETERMINE WHETHER EMPATHY CAN BE TAUGHT TO HIM, HE IS TO BE KEPT CONFINED. HE IS TO HAVE NO OUTSIDE CONTACT. BASED ON HIS CURRENT STATE, HE IS OPEN TO SUGGESTION AND CAN EASILY BE SWAYED TO DO THINGS WE DO NOT WANT. WHILE HE IS COMPLIANT WITH US, IT IS LIKELY HE COULD BE TURNED AGAINST US. ESTABLISHING LOYALTY IS PARAMOUNT.

WHILE REMOVING HIS MEMORY AND EMOTIONAL TIES TO OTHER PARTIES WAS NO MISTAKE, PERHAPS REMOVING HIS BASIC MORALITY WAS.

KAMUKURA HAS BEEN SEDATED AND PLACED IN ISOLATION, WHERE HE WILL BE MONITORED.

Glued to the page was one last picture. A young man in a hospital gown, bandages wrapped around his head. Black hair spilled around him, a pale arm jutting out from the sheet to grip an IV pole, a set of red eyes boring into the camera. 

Makoto pulled the picture of Hajime from his pocket and set it next to the image of Kamukura. There was no doubt that they were the same person. But the stark difference in their eyes could have fooled him. There was Hajime’s green—bright, determined, full of life. And then there was Izuru’s red—bright, apathetic, empty. 

“What did they do to you, Hajime?” Makoto nearly whispered. “I can’t imagine what you went through.”

Togami pushed his glasses up, shaking his head. “Do not forget, he is still a Remnant. And that he volunteered for this project, even if it was likely that he was misled about what he would be made to go through.”

Makoto nodded, taking the two pictures and putting them in his pocket. For safekeeping. Closing the journal, he stood up. “We should...we should go. This was a good find. We finally have a little bit on Kamukura.”

Togami stood and crossed his arms, looking out the window. “I know you’re planning something with the Remnants. And this journal just cemented a decision for you. So let me in on it, why don’t you?” 

Makoto looked up firmly at his friend. “I can’t tell you that.”

He chuckled. “Naegi, you must have something truly devious planned then. How much trouble are you about to get yourself into?”

“The treasonous level.” He didn’t want to drag Togami down along with him. His friend meant far too much to him for Makoto to endanger him like that. 

Togami sighed and looked away, a wry smile on his face. “By all means then, I’m in. What on Earth are you planning?”

Despite himself, Makoto grinned. “I think we can save the Remnants, Byakuya. Rehabilitate them.”

Togami’s eyes were dangerously bright. “Start talking.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys! Basically I got hit with inspiration at midnight and busted this out. Hope y’all liked it! <3


End file.
